This Edradour 2011, just like this delicious Fettercairn, was part of the family tasting I gave a few weeks ago. And these sherry bombs have been released quite a lot in recent years. You didn’t just see them at Van Wees, but also at Signatory and of course Edradour itself as well. Not entirely strange, since Signatory owns Edradour and Van Wees, in turn, buys its casks from Signatory.
Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of this kind of sherry bomb (with a few exceptions), but because I knew that a few family members would appreciate this bottle, I added it to the line-up. And it was also an excellent opportunity for me to taste this without having to buy a whole bottle.
This Edradour has matured in a 1st fill sherry butt for 9 years and is bottled at a strength of 59.2% ABV. Cask #38.
Edradour 2011 tasting notes:
Nose: dried fruits, such as raisins and prunes. A hint of dark fruits: Stewed black cherries and blackberries. Dark chocolate. A hint of tobacco and charred wood. Brown sugar but also honey. Then a touch of balsamic, followed by caramel.
Taste: Forest fruits, such as blueberries and blackberries, but also a faint hint of strawberries. Dried prunes. Dark, rich honey. A balsamic note here as well. Dark chocolate and a touch of caramel. Toffee too. Then a hint of oak and spices such as black pepper and cloves.
Finish: mid-long to long. Dark chocolate and also toffee. Black pepper and cloves. Red berries too.
To be fair, it’s quite tasty. Maybe the winter feeling has set in, but I can appreciate this quite well. I already thought this single malt was rather nice during that tasting, but we had tasted it while we were served an Irish stew with which this Edradour worked surprisingly well together. It made the whisky a bit more fruity, but it also complemented the spices found in the stew. Good to know that it was not only a great dram then, but also now that I’ve tasted it again in the comfort of my own home.
